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Carnell Lake to the rescue. If anyone can teach this kid to play to his potential it is Lake. If he does we just robbed the rest of the NFL. It does create a logjam at CB but that is a great problem to have. Maybe the plan is someone eventually shifts to Safety which is a desperate need depth wise.

Yeah, Van Dyke certainly has all the physical tools to succeed -- he's 6'1" with blazing speed. If Lake can coach him up, he could be a great asset. If nothing else, I would hope that his speed would help him contribute on special teams.

Did the Raiders play predominantly a zone or man-2-man on the backside of their defense? Could it be that his particular skills size and speed didn't translate into the scheme they were playing? Or, is his football IQ not high enough to grasp the intricacies of an NFL defense? Of course, and we'll find out soon enough, it could simply be that when the lights go on he can't hold up under the pressure (see Limas Sweed). The one article indicates that he looks good in practice, but couldn't translate it during a game. I guess the Steelers will find out over the next 8 weeks when they place Decastro on the temporary IR or whatever they call it.

This is a surprising move. It is not like us to sign a project player at this stage (especially when we are short on OL and WR).

We aren't exactly overflowing with corners either. Last year we kept 6 corners and 4 safeties, and this year we kept 4 corners and 5 safeties (subtracted Gay and McFadden, added Golden). In this passing league of today, where teams aren't shy to go 4-wide, you should probably have more than just 4 corners (1 injury there, and you are in quite a bind).

I need help understanding why some of these guys can't easily convert to Safety. If CB is the more difficult position to play, requiring more talent it would seem like taking a guy struggling there and moving him to Safety might help him suceed. Obviously it isn't that easy but given our lack of depth at Safety can anyone knowledgeable discuss?

Playing Fantasy Football does not qualify you to be the in the front office or on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are professionals and you are not!

We aren't exactly overflowing with corners either. Last year we kept 6 corners and 4 safeties, and this year we kept 4 corners and 5 safeties (subtracted Gay and McFadden, added Golden). In this passing league of today, where teams aren't shy to go 4-wide, you should probably have more than just 4 corners (1 injury there, and you are in quite a bind).

I don't disagree, but a fourth or fifth corner only needs to be able to play special teams and dime. A safety can also fill this role and they often do in today's NFL especially if injury necessitates it.

Also, I fully expected us to cut a safety at some point after the Denver game and add another CB. May be unnecessary now.

Even if Bill Belichick was getting an atomic wedgie, his face would look exactly the same.

If the Raiders cut him they did for a reason; I doubt this guy pans out. But we could field a killer 4 x 100 relay track team: Wallace, Rainey, Van Dyke, Brown - that's a fast group.

That indeed may be the case, but there is history of players being released by one team and picked by another and the player flourishing, Jerome Bettis comes to mind. I'm not saying we're going to find a HOFer in Van Dyke, but until Lake and Lebeau get a chance to work him out and see what he can do I'll be guardedly optimistic.